Global citizenship and the Stanford Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project

Abstract

Today, more than ever, in the current climate of intensified globalisation, students need the opportunity to learn concrete strategies for communicating and collaborating with others around the globe. Universities have increased mandates for internationalisation and the development of global citizens. Yet too often students lack access to technologically-mediated learning environments, and they do not have the chance to work regularly with transnational audiences. Thus, they do not learn how to work collaboratively on multimedia texts with others from diverse cultures. These, however, are the very skills and core competencies that students will need in their future professions and in their futures as global citizens. This article discusses the emergence of global citizenship as a key concern in higher education and shares lessons in classroom practice from the Stanford Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project (CCR), a research endeavour and sustainable teaching programme connecting university students and teachers across multiple countries. The mission of the CCR project is to prepare students for effective collaboration and communication in global contexts, both within educational institutions and beyond. This article discusses the Stanford protocol, presents an overview of technology used for global connections, reviews research responses from assessment surveys, and concludes by discussing the emergent theoretical insights and recommendations for a pedagogical focus on three core competencies crucial for global citizenship in the technological age.